


The Wizard of Oz...?

by DarkMeB



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spider-Man (Movieverse)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-26
Updated: 2013-05-03
Packaged: 2017-12-09 12:47:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/774363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkMeB/pseuds/DarkMeB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Back in 2002, this story was a challenge to me by a friend on an old FanFic site that no longer exists. E  J Burns, you still out there?  There had been major errors in it, rewritten many times, and yet with the help of E. James Burns, and Mark W, we finally ironed them out.  Hope you like this nightmare of mine.  I loved it, hated it, wanted to burn it, blah, blah, blah.  Proceed at your own risk.</p><p>The Green Goblin pays Sunnydale a visit.  Spoiler: Season 2. There is AU in this story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dinner Invitation

Norman Osborn stood with his son, Harry, in the driveway of his new home, a huge mansion sitting with a commanding view of all of Sunnydale. Osborn smiled to himself- everything was going according to plan. Everything.

Except for one small detail. 

He had to find a way to keep his son busy. Harry must not get near his work. No, not yet. The time would come when the son would carry on the "Father's Work", but that time was not near as of yet. Soon. Yet first, he had to find that which he sought the most. 

The Orb of Herboverda. 

The orb was an orb of dark power, and once that orb was in his possession, then all would be ready. 

Osborn smiled. 

"Dad," Harry said, interrupting his father's thoughts, "tell me why we had to move from Manhattan again? I miss my friends." 

Osborn didn't look at him. He sighed as patiently as he could. "You'll make new friends." 

"That's easy for you to say." 

"Listen, son. Your cousin Daniel promised to take you along with him and introduce you around in your new school. So don't sweat it so much. Okay? This is important to me and important to Osborn Industries which, by the way, will some day be yours." He turned to look at his son. There was a twitch in his eye. "Do you understand what I'm telling you? Can you help your old man out?" 

Harry looked up at his father. He knew that there was something wrong with him. Something had happened to him back at the lab at Osborn Industries HQ in New York. He just didn't know what it was, but whatever had happened, it had changed his father. It was like there were two of them. One minute, he was his old Norman Osborn self. The next...he was just plain mad. 

Something was wrong. 

Terribly wrong. 

Harry let out a sigh. "Sure, Dad. I'll help you out." 

But who was going to help him out? 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"Oz!" called the voice of the one and only girl he was crazy about. Daniel Ozbourne turned his head as he opened his locker and there she was. 

Willow Rosenberg ran up to him and gave him a quick happy kiss on the lips. "Hi, boyfriend of mine!" she greeted excitedly. "What'cha doing?" 

Oz looked into her eyes. "Aside from preparing to do battle against the hordes of homework and the dirty looks from ancient teachers...I'm standing with the only girl I want to be with." He hesitated. "You make it hard for a guy to keep his thoughts clean." 

Willow looked at him. "Oh, uh...are you thinking about us doing something dirty? Uh, it-it isn't anywhere near pond scum, is it? 'Cause that's where the frogs are..." She shook her head. "And-and I don't like frogs." 

Oz smiled inwardly. Sometimes he couldn't believe a guy like him could ever be with a girl like Willow. "No, Will. My thoughts are definitely not taking us anywhere within miles of pond scum." He put his pack around his shoulders. "Listen, I've got to go and meet my cousin. He's new today and I need to break him in. You know...introduce him around. Get him ready for living on the Hellmouth. That kind of thing. You want to meet him?" 

"Oh, sure. Hey, maybe we'll take him to the Bronze tonight with the rest of the Scoobies. We'll set him straight in no time. Make him feel right at home." 

Oz nodded. "That's a plus." 

Together they walked out through the front doors of the school and there was Harry, walking toward them. 

"Harry," Oz said with a nod of greeting. "This is my girlfriend, Willow." 

Willow beamed at Harry. "I'm Oz' girl friend," she repeated, as if she still couldn't believe she had an actual boy friend. She held out her hand. "Welcome to Sunnydale." 

Harry shook her hand as he glanced at her hair. _Another girl with red hair,_ he thought to himself. _What is it with red hair?_ He found himself thinking about a girl named Mary Jane and shook his head. "Uh, I'm Harry. Harry Osborn." 

"Oh...like Daniel Ozbourne." Willow looked at Oz. "You both have the same last names. Are you sure you're not brothers?" 

"I'm reasonably sure." Oz tilted his head to look at her. "We're cousins." 

Willow tried to be secretive as she leaned closer to him. "Uh, Oz...does the 'you know what' thing you do on a...full moon run in your family?" 

Oz nodded. "In a way, yes. But Harry and his dad are as normal as you are." 

"Oh, that's good." She smiled. "I'm normal." 

"Of course. You're Normal Girl." 

Harry let out a sigh, having listened to both Oz and Willow in spite of her trying to be secretive. "Dan, you're terribly mistaken, you know. My father isn't normal. He's far from it." He looked thoughtful. 

To Willow, he looked sad. "Hey, well...cheer up, Harry. We'll make you feel right at home here in Sunnydale." She mistook his sadness for being homesick. She had no idea that he was concerned about matters far more pressing than having to adjust to a new life. 

They went to class, and afterward, they met in the library where the other Scoobies were. 

"This is Xander, and Cordelia," Willow introduced Harry to her friends. "Oh, and this is Mr. Giles, our librarian." 

Harry nodded to them. 

"Welcome to Sunnydale," Xander Harris said as he greeted the new kid on the block. "You're going to love it here." He chuckled. "I mean, you might love it here, 'cause, my new friend, you're going to see the world in a whole new light once you--" 

"Xander," Rupert Giles said sharply, "you are...er...rambling again. That has really become a rather annoying habit of yours." 

Xander held up his hands defensively. "Hey...I thought my jokes were annoying, or the way I drool on your precious books when I fall asleep at the table. Those are annoying habits." He pointed at Giles. "No one ever said to me anything about my 'rambling' being annoying." 

Giles shook his head. "No. Actually, th-that drooling of yours is a dis-disgusting habit. You just don't drool on leather bound books. I-it just doesn't happen!" 

"Giles, it was just one book!" 

"No, Xander. It was fourteen books by-by my last count. The Ars Revo Orbos Vortaro was the fifteenth book you drooled on. This-this is a very rare book, and I-I can't believe you-you mistreated it in such a fashion." 

Xander shrugged. "Well, hey. I was tired, it was lying there, and it just looked like a comfy pillow at the time." 

He frowned unhappily, holding the very book in question in his hand. "Well, I-I don't think that spot will ever be removed." Giles looked at the cover of the book and suddenly looked puzzled. 

"Try Oxy-Clear!" Xander exclaimed helpfully. 

Giles looked up. "Th-that's odd." 

"What now? I did _not_ draw any doodles in that book. Willow is the only one who doodle's here." 

Willow shook her head in protest. "Uh, but not with books, or at least books from the library." She gave Xander a look. 

Giles suddenly seemed distracted. He turned the book over in his hand. "The mark is gone." 

Xander threw up his hands. "Saints be praised!" 

Willow and Oz glanced at Harry who was watching the exchange in fascination. "Uh, th-they're always like that," Willow said meekly, and apologetically, trying to explain their behavior unsuccessfully. 

Cordelia Chase nodded her head. "Yeah. God, can I ever find a boy friend who isn't both annoying and disgusting?" She looked at Harry and smiled her most charming smile. "Hey, Harry, do you have a girl friend?" 

Harry glanced at Willow, again thinking about the red hair...which led to thoughts of MJ. He looked at Cordelia. "No. I don't. I just moved here." 

"Well, we're going to the Bronze tonight. Maybe you should join us." 

Xander put his arm around Cordelia. "Yeah. Join...us." He emphasized the "us". 

That's when the door to the library opened and in walked the most beautiful girl Harry had ever laid eyes on. This girl didn't even have red hair. She was a blonde and her eyes were upon him with curiosity as she entered. 

"Hey! It's the Buffster!" Xander exclaimed. 

"Hi, guys," she said. She looked at Harry. "You must be Oz's cousin. I'm Buffy Summers." She held out her hand. 

Harry took it hesitantly. He couldn't take his eyes off from her. "Uh...hi...Buffy Summers." 

Oz and Willow exchanged knowing looks. Willow smiled. Xander and Cordelia exchanged knowing looks as well. Xander didn't smile. Giles just stood there with his book in his hand and the whole thing passed right over his head. 

"Harry Osborn," Buffy said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you." 

Harry swallowed. "Oh, uh, I-I guess we're supposed to go to the Bronx tonight." 

"That's Bronze, starry-eyed guy," Xander corrected. "It's the opposite of 'Bronx', although I think it's safe to assume a lot of wild things do happen in both places." 

Harry looked at Buffy. "Uh, the Bronze...are you going?" 

Buffy found herself wanting to say yes but she knew she couldn't. Not tonight. She and Giles were patrolling tonight and they intended to look for Angelus. She had to deal with him sooner or later. She looked at Harry. She had to let go of Angel...and Harry was kind of cute. 

_No,_ she thought. _I will not involve this boy into my little world of hell._ She frowned. "I'm sorry, Harry. I can't make it tonight." 

"Oh." Harry looked at her. 

"Hello." 

Everyone turned around and Harry froze. His father had just entered the library and he was approaching them as he looked at everyone present. Osborn's eyes took them all in. 

Harry did not look at his father. He turned his head. 

"Hello," Giles said to Osborn as he looked at him curiously. "Can I, er...help you?" 

Osborn smiled wryly. "I'm just here to pick up my son. I just never would have expected him to actually be in a library." He looked at his son, and then he looked at Buffy. For just a split second, something very dangerous flashed in his eyes. Then it was gone and no one noticed the look. 

No one except Harry. 

Osborn focused on Oz and the red-haired girl beside him. 

"Daniel!" He walked over to him and gave him a hug. "My one and only, all time favorite nephew. How are you, son?" 

Oz clapped him on the back, and then quickly stepped back. He was fully aware that people had just witnessed him hugging his uncle. "I'm good, Uncle Norman." He glanced at Xander. Was that a smirk? 

Osborn smiled at Willow. "And is this lovely young lady your girlfriend?" 

Oz nodded as he glanced at her. "This is Willow and, yes, she's my girlfriend." 

Willow beamed with pride and bounced happily on her feet. "I'm Oz' girlfriend," she repeated dreamily. 

Osborn chuckled. "Well, Danny, my boy. At least I'm happy to see that some of the young Osborn's within the family have very good taste." 

Oz took that as high praise. 

Harry took that as an insult. He glared daggers at Oz. 

Oz introduced his uncle to everyone and Osborn seemed to be interested in each of them. He was friendly. He joked with them. He laughed with them, and he managed to cause them all to let down their guard without them even being aware of it. 

He happened to see the book Giles' was holding and his interest peaked. "Excuse me, Mr. Giles...but that book in your hand. Is that the Ars Revo Orbos Vortaro you've got there? That is one extremely difficult work to find." 

Giles looked at him with surprise. "Er, y-yes, it is? You know of this book?" 

Osborn smiled. "Know of it? Yes, especially the section on orbs and artifacts, which are a sort of hobby of mine. I do travel quite a bit and in some of my travels, I manage to find my share of ancient treasures." He held out his hand. "May I?" 

"Oh, er," Giles began as he handed the book over, "of course. Be my guest." 

He began to flip through the book and as he did, his eyes took in the many orbs listed within it's yellowed pages. The book mentioned orbs of magic, great and small, and some orbs were even merely decorations. When he came to one particular orb...he stopped. 

"This is strange," he said to himself. He looked thoughtful. 

"What's strange, Uncle?" Oz asked him. 

Osborn simply smiled and shook himself out of his musings. "Oh, nothing, son. I was just reflecting on one of my finds. Or lack thereof, I should say. I was very close to getting this one here." He opened the book and showed it to Giles. 

"Th-that orb?" Giles looked at the orb the man was referring to. "You can't find this orb?" 

He shook his head. 

"But this orb is-isn't really that hard to find." 

Osborn looked surprised. "It's not?" He paused. "You mean this orb can be obtained?" 

"Of-of course, it can. The Orb of Thesulah can be obtained at the Dragon's Cove Magic Shop." That's when he recalled that the last orb had been purchased. He knew because he had tried to go ahead and purchase it but someone had beaten him to it. He had to make a special order. "Oh...I-I'm afraid you'll have to order it if you wish to have one." 

"Do you have one?" 

"No. I-I don't." 

"Giles," Buffy said as she looked at him, "what does this Orb of Methuselah do?" 

"That's 'Thesulah,' Buffy...and-and I'm told that they're nothing more than decorative paper weights." He avoided making eye contact with her. 

Decorative paper weights, Osborn frowned thoughtfully. He handed the book back to Giles, narrowing his eyes briefly. An idea came to him. "Listen...I want all of you to come to my house for dinner tonight." He smiled warmly. 

Harry rolled his eyes. 

"Oh, hey," Xander said with a grin. "We're the Scoobies and we never turn down a dinner invitation. We love those Scooby Snacks." 

Cordelia folded her arms across herself and gave Xander a look. "God, is that all you think about? Food?" 

Xander gave her a knowing grin. "Now you know that food isn't all I think about, but food is what either leads to or comes right after...what I really think about." 

"Guys! Adults in the room. Come back to earth." Buffy let out a sigh and then glanced at Giles before she turned to Osborn. "I'm afraid I can't make it, Mr. Osborn. I...have a real ton of homework that I never do...so it's time I really buckle down and do the homework thing." 

"Nonsense. You're coming. All of you are and I insist." Osborn looked at Giles. "We'll make it an event. Bring a date. Bring your parents. It'll be my way of making new friends in Sunnydale. Believe me, I could use all the friends I can get." He glanced reproachfully at Harry. "And so could my son for that matter." 

Giles nodded at Buffy. "I-it's okay, Buffy. I-I suppose your...duties in the library can wait." 

"Then we're all agreed?" Osborn looked at them all expectantly. 

They nodded in agreement and promised to be there for dinner. Osborn and his son Harry then left the library. The Scoobies were excited about the dinner that evening. 

Giles went into his office and Buffy followed him. "Hey, Giles..." She regarded him as he kept his face turned away from her. "What are you trying to hide from me? Is it about that orb? You acted kind of wiggy when I asked you about it." 

Giles shook his head. "Er, no. It-it doesn't concern you, Buffy, so-so just forget about it." He glanced at her. "And for the record, I did not, and will not ever act...er, wiggy. How does one act as a hairpiece, I wonder? It-it's really absurd." 

"It's an expression. Listen, Giles...about Ms. Calendar..." 

Giles let out a weary sigh. "Bu-Buffy, you don't have to bring her up with me. I-I've already decided there's nothing that can become of us, so--" 

"That's a lie and you know it. You're only avoiding her because of me. We both know that." She looked at him sadly. "I-I guess I can't really blame her for what she did. I want to. But...it's not really her fault. And I can't stand to see the hurt in her eyes...or yours. So please. Talk to her. I-I wouldn't want you to be alone." She thought of Angel. "No one should be alone." She grabbed his arm and squeezed it affectionately. "Okay? So, promise me you'll talk to her." 

Giles hesitated. "O-okay...Buffy. I-I may do that." 

"I hope you do. Besides, don't you need a dinner date?" 

Giles thought about that. "I-I suppose I do at that...don't I?" 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

After Computer Class, Jenny Calendar asked Willow if she had a minute before she left for the next class. Willow hugged her books and said that she did have a minute, but she was worried she was going to be asked to do something that Buffy wouldn't want her to do. 

She was wrong. Jenny was asking her to do something. Something secretive. Something sneaky. 

"Willow, you're the only one I can trust with this." She handed her an envelope. "Take this." 

Willow took it hesitantly. "But, uh, wh-what is it?" 

"Just keep it safe." Jenny looked into her eyes. "Please. It's very important." 

"Oh, okay, but...I really can't tell anybody?" 

Jenny shook her head. 

"Not even Buffy?" 

"Especially not Buffy." 

Willow hesitated. "Uh, how about Oz? 'Cause if I can at least tell one person, th-then it really isn't a secret and-and I won't feel like I have to lie. 'Cause I-I'm not good at secrets...and-and Buffy's my friend." 

Jenny paused. "Willow...this is very important," she said again. "Just keep it safe." 

"O-okay. For how long?" 

Jenny tried to smile reassuringly. "Not long." 

Willow folded the envelope and shoved it into the pocket of her skirt. "I'll...I'll keep it safe for you." 

"Thank you." 

Willow left the room. Jenny watched her go, and to herself, she said, "If anything happens to me...you're Angel's last hope." 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

The dinner was a huge hit. The people who attended were Willow and her parents, Buffy and her mom, Xander and his mother, Cordelia and her parents, and Oz and his parents. The only one who didn't show up was Xander's father, who was passed out on the floor at home. 

The guests were impressed with the mansion. It seemed to be well kept even though there appeared to be only one servant. His name was simply Jackson and he didn't talk. He simply served. He politely took their coats and hung them in the walk-in closet. He served them drinks in the den and then he went about his business. 

Osborn and his son entered the den soon after that and the conversations began. Buffy found herself with Willow, Oz, Harry, Xander, and Cordelia, and across from the room, Osborn was deep in conversation with Mr. Chase, Mr. Osbourne, Ira Rosenberg, Giles, and Jenny Calendar. Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. Osbourne, Joyce Summers, and Sheila Rosenberg were talking among themselves, admiring a suit of armor. Buffy smiled thoughtfully. If she knew her mom as well as she did, she knew then that her mother was probably talking about where the suit of armor would look the best in her gallery. 

They had dinner and everything was fantastic. Willow talked to Oz and told him how impressed she was with his Uncle. Oz, for the most part, didn't say anything much at all. He usually didn't do a lot of talking, especially at dinners like this one, but he was more concerned about something else. He was concerned about his cousin Harry. Harry didn't look happy at all, and when Oz looked at his Uncle, he noticed that every now and then, the man had a twitch near his eye. 

Then there was the discussion at the dinner table. 

Jenny herself brought it up. "So...I heard that you were interested in an Orb of Thesulah." 

"Yes." Osborn sipped his wine, dabbed at his lip with a dinner napkin, and regarded Jenny thoughtfully. "They say that such artifacts hold great power. They say that some are even capable of stealing a man's soul, or restoring it." 

Buffy frowned thoughtfully. She looked at Jenny closely. _Could that be what the teacher was up to? Was Giles also looking into something that he didn't want to involve her in? Did this Orb of Who-E-Jiggy exist and could it help restore Angel's soul?_ She caught Giles' eye and gave him a look that said, "You and I are having a very serious talk when we're through here, Mister." 

Giles, avoiding eye contact with Buffy, loosened his collar. "Er, uh, Mis-Mr. Osborn..." 

"Please. Call me Norman." 

"Er, thank you, Norman. How-how can these orbs have such power? Do you believe that it could be so?" 

Osborn smiled at him. "Do I believe? Oh, Mr. Giles...Rupert. I very much believe there could be such orbs of power that the earth itself could be shaken to its very core. Imagine one single orb. An orb so small that it could fit into the palm of your hand, but with power thriving inside and with the secret knowledge that you possess...you can make that orb do great things." 

Joyce snorted and she almost choked. 

Osborn turned to glare at her. "Are you all right, Mrs. Summers?" 

"Er..." She glanced at Buffy. She wanted to laugh. "I-I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Osborn. Er, Norman. I don't mean to offend you, but...an orb is just a ball of glass. I'm sure it has no magical value whatsoever. I would think it's value would be determined with how rare it is...and if it was an artifact worthy to be on display." 

"A trinket, to be certain," Mr. Chase agreed. "People will pay a hefty price for something that serves no purpose other than to add to the fashion of a housewife's decorating skills." 

Mrs. Chase gave him a look. 

Jenny smiled. "The Orb of Thesulah does make for a good paper weight," she said. 

Osborn looked at her. "You have one?" 

Jenny glanced at Giles who was looking at her in surprise. 

Buffy frowned. _Okay,_ she thought. _Giles knows what the orb is but he wasn't aware that Ms. Calendar got herself one, but why did she get it?_

"I do," Jenny answered. 

Osborn paused. "Well...Joyce, I am not offended," he said, looking at Buffy's mother. "You have to understand I've traveled a lot and I've seen things I once used to question. Like you yourself are questioning now. The thing that you fail to see is what this town is capable of revealing to you." He held up a hand. "Please, hear me out." He regarded his guests. "This town has great power. There's a strong current of energy that just pours out from the ground and it goes through this town like water through a creek...and yet there are so few who notice it. It's hard to explain. It's like a mystical convergence." He looked at Giles. "I know you can feel it." 

Giles looked at him and he began to wonder just who this man was. He certainly seemed to know there was definitely something going on in Sunnydale that didn't fit the status quo of other towns. 

"I wonder if we could predate many of the magical items of our day and trace them back through time to their very creations. What would we discover? Were these powerful artifacts created here in this mystical convergence? Were they created by demons, or angels?" He paused. Then he shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I suppose, because now most demons are gone. Oh, I'm sure they try to return every now and then, yet most of them are gone. Why? Because they have met their match in man." 

Giles stared at him. "Are-are you saying that man is more powerful than demon?" 

"Of course. After all, we're here, and they're not." 

"Yes-yes, that is true. However, to face a demon is...well, in most cases, it is simply suicidal." 

Osborn shook his head. "No, it isn't. That's rubbish. Man has evolved far greater than the worst demon ever known, and he continues to evolve today. However, there are some men who do evolve faster than others. With an orb of great power, he would become invincible." He suddenly broke into a smile. "Now...who would like some dessert?" 

The dinner progressed into dessert and then it was time to leave. Osborn heard that the Scoobies had time to go to the Bronze so he asked his son to go with them. When Harry asked him why, he became insistent. "Look, just go and have a good time. I have an associate dropping by later this evening--" 

"Tonight?" Harry inquired. "What associate?" 

Osborn looked at his son, eyes glittering with suppressed madness. "Just go," he hissed. 

Harry left with the others. 

They all left except for Norman Osborn. Osborn dismissed Jackson and then he went to his den. He went behind the bar...and he poured himself a drink, and then another, and then an-- 

"Drowning in your pathetic misery, are we?" said a voice heavy with sarcasm. 

Osborn spun around, but there was no one there. "N-no...I...I'm just a little thirsty." His eyes darted this way and that way, but he could not see anyone; the intruder was never in his sight but was always in his head. 

"Then have a little drink, but be ready! He is almost here." 

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. 

Osborn took a long drink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He took another look around the den. Then he hurried to answer the door. 

Osborn opened the door and there stood the one he had sought out from Willy's Bar. "He-hello," he said, his voice hoarse. "We've been expecting you." 

Angelus glared at him. "You know, I'm really not in a good mood right now. The only reason I'm standing here is because I really do want you to invite me inside...so I can rip your heart out through your chest." 

Osborn hesitated. "Why would you want to do this to me?" 

"I saw who left your house. You had dinner guests. One of them is someone whom I'd really love to kill." 

"Well...you will kill her. She is why I asked you to come." 

"Is that right?" Angelus looked at him skeptically. "Are you saying that you're going to help me slay the Slayer? What do you get in return?" 

Osborn hesitated. "In time...I will tell you." 

"When?" 

"There are things we must discuss first." 

Angelus let out a sigh. "Well...are we discussing them here on the front step, or are you going to invite me in?" 

Osborn hesitated. "I...invite you in." 

"Thank you." Angelus suddenly grabbed the man by his throat and tossed him back inside. As Osborn crashed onto the floor, Angelus stepped inside and slammed the door shut. "People like you really piss me off." He hauled Osborn up and slapped him hard across the face with the back of his hand. Then for good measure, he slammed the man face first into the wall. 

Osborn was bleeding. He was dangerously close to blacking out as Angelus tossed him into the next room. 

Angelus walked into the den as Osborn struggled to get up. 

"I'm just going to kill you," Angelus told him. "And do you wanna know why I'm going to kill you? Because you can't get me the Slayer. No one can get me the Slayer but me. So I don't need your help." He kicked Osborn in the stomach. "I don't need anything from you. On the other hand, I can entertain myself all night long by making you bleed." He hauled the man up and punched him in the face. Then he picked him up over his shoulders and tossed him over the bar. 

There was a crash. Bottles and glasses crashed to the floor. 

Then there was silence. 

Angelus clapped his hands together and he smiled through his fangs. "They say alcohol and cuts don't go well together. And broken glass can really cause infections. All of that sounds like fun, but I'm going to snap all of your fingers off, and then, I'm going to--" He stopped as he looked behind the bar. 

Osborn was gone. 

"What the hell?" 

Angelus looked around the den but there wasn't anywhere that he could see where Osborn could have escaped to. He went out into the hall. For about fifteen minutes, the angry vampire searched for Osborn. Then he found himself in a huge ball room. He entered into it as he looked around. 

"This could take all night," Angelus said to himself as he shook his head in disgust. "The moron probably has a maze of secret passageways to hide in." He turned, intending to leave...and then he froze. 

He looked up. 

His mouth dropped open in astonishment. 

A thing...a demon with the face of a hideous goblin floated above him on some kind of a glider that resembled a mechanical bat. This goblin was green and in its hand, it held a miniature glowing pumpkin. 

"Angelus," the demon declared, "you will join my cause...or you will die horribly!" 

Angelus looked up at him, his own face the image of his demon. "Who the hell are you?" 

"I am the Green Goblin, and I await your answer." He raised the pumpkin. "Join me or die!"


	2. Teacher's Pet

"Time is of the essence, Angelus," the Green Goblin declared as he stood on his glider.

Angelus stared in fascination. _That damned contraption is hovering in the air with this demon perched on it, but what the hell is that pumpkin for? And what the hell is this thing anyway?_

"Do you plan on throwing that thing at me?" Angelus wanted to know. "Because if you do, that will be the last thing you ever do." 

The Goblin glared down at him. "Don't be a fool! If you join me now, I can help you get the Slayer. All I want in return is a single orb." 

"All I want is to knock you off that thing and break your filthy neck." 

The Goblin paused for affect. "An old friend of yours is preparing a Spell of...Restoration." 

That got his attention. Angelus glared up at the Green Goblin, but this time, he was glaring because of what he had just heard. If someone was trying to get the Spell of Restoration, then he was in trouble. "All right," he finally said. "Who has the Spell?" 

"Allow me to take care of that for you. What you must do is get me an army and meet me at the Bronze in one hour." 

Angelus thought about that. "Why?" 

The Green Goblin laughed. His laughter froze Angelus where he stood. Even the vampire could hear the madness in those demented cackles. 

"Why?" the Green Goblin repeated. "So you can help yourself to the all-you- can-eat buffet. _But!_ " He held up a warning finger. "Wait for me." 

Angelus regarded the Goblin. "So...you're going to take care of this Restoration thing...and I'm going to meet you at the Bronze with an army in _one hour_? Are you crazy?" 

"Exactly! And your point is?" 

"What happens if you fail?" 

The Green Goblin laughed. "I will never fail!" 

"Then let me ask you another question...Why should I?" 

The Green Goblin suddenly swooped down, grabbed Angelus by the throat, and carried him up to the ceiling. Angelus struggled to break the Goblin's grip on his throat and was surprised at his opponents strength. Angelus hauled back a fist and slammed it into the Goblins face. 

That was a mistake. It was like punching a brick wall. However, he came to the sudden realization that this creature wasn't a demon at all. It was just a man wearing some kind of armor and mask. 

The Green Goblin tossed Angelus and sent the vampire crashing back down to the floor of the ball room. Angelus groaned, but got to his feet without anything broken. The Goblin swooped back down toward him, swinging a fist into his face, sending him flying across the floor. All the while the Goblin laughed like a maniac. 

Angelus leaned against the wall, needing it's support to get up. He glared at the Green Goblin. He wanted to kill him, but it occurred to him he couldn't waste any more time if there really was someone out there with intentions of restoring his soul. This fight was taking more time than he needed. Besides, he needed to know more about this mysterious man because demon or not, he was clearly insane. 

"All right," he growled. "You've made your point." _I'll finish this later,_ he made a promise to himself. "I'll get you your damned army and meet you at the Bronze...but you damn well better do something about that spell." 

The Green Goblin laughed. "Oh, I intend to. Death is such a trivial thing!" He reached into his pouch of tricks and pulled out a seemingly ordinary-looking fruit. "An apple for teacher!" He laughed again. 

Angelus frowned. "Teacher?" he asked himself. He watched in amazement as the Goblin accelerated the glider into three dizzying circles, then disappeared through a doorway...demented laughter following. 

The vampire headed out - he had an army to find. 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Jenny let out a sigh of relief as she managed to translate the spell she needed into English. She had told Giles to go home and assured him she would meet him there after she took care of this. He wasn't exactly certain what she was up to, but he did have his suspicions. Jenny was sure of that. If all went according to plan, then Angel would get his soul back. However, if something happened to her, then Willow would be the only hope left. Jenny had given her the spell just in case. Unfortunately, Willow was also going to need to translate it. 

Jenny began to print out the translated spell as she sat back to wait. 

Suddenly, the back wall of the classroom exploded inward. Jenny screamed and hit the floor as broken glass and debris came flying in. She covered her head as she laid on the floor behind her desk and waited for the shock of the explosion to pass. When it finally did, she raised her head and cautiously looked over her desk. 

A demon from hell glided through the opening it had just made from the explosion. It was perched on top of some kind of glider. As it came gliding into the room, the demon fixed its' glare upon Jenny. 

She hesitantly rose to her feet. She stared at the demon in wide eyed wonder. 

Then to her surprise, the demon spoke. "Formatia trans sicere educatorum." 

Jenny whispered, " _'Enter all ye who seek knowledge.'_ " 

"Yes, teacher! And knowledge is what I seek." He pointed at the artifact on her desk. "Give me the orb." 

Jenny stared at him. Then she looked at the Orb of Thesulah. Something occurred to her then. At the dinner earlier that evening, there was a man named Norman Osborn whom had shown a great deal of interest in that very orb. 

She looked at the Green Goblin suspiciously. "Mr. Osborn...?" This thing wasn't a demon after all but a crazy man in a costume. 

The Goblin laughed. 

It made her fear for her life. 

Suddenly, she grabbed the orb and turned to run. As she ran, she didn't see him hurl an object at her. An apple. She did, however, hear the explosion. It destroyed her desk and sent her sliding out of control down the hallway outside her classroom. The orb slipped through her fingers and rolled away from her. As she stopped sliding, she saw the Green Goblin glide over her. 

He was after the orb. 

She pushed herself up with her hands and looked. The Goblin simply reached down, scooped up the orb, then spun around to face her. 

"Please," she pleaded, "Mr. Osborn...that orb is the only hope an old friend has." 

"This orb, Ms. Calendar," the Goblin hissed at her with venom, "is the only hope I have...of destroying this planet." 

Jenny stared at him in horror. She suddenly realized that this man was insane. She slowly got to her feet. "What are you going to do?" she wanted to know. 

The Green Goblin opened a pouch on his hip. He pulled out four objects and simply tossed them into the air. The objects hovered like the glider did, but they were smaller and they expanded into what looked like tiny little mechanical bats. Even from where she was standing, Jenny knew the wings on those bats were extremely sharp...like knives. 

She backed up a step. 

"You can run, my dear..." the Green Goblin laughed, "but you won't run far!" 

Jenny turned and tried to run, but the Goblin was right. The four bats with wingtips of sharp metal caught up to her in no time. She screamed as the objects flew right through her. She fell to the floor, holding herself together as the objects did a u-turn and headed back toward her. They were coming back to finish the job. 

She saw them coming. Tears formed in her eyes. "Go-God, Rupert...I-I love you." 

Those were her last words. 

The Green Goblin fled the scene. He left Jenny where she had fallen. He had an army of the dead to meet and then to lead. 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

"So this is the Bronze." Harry looked around and liked what he saw. The only thing he didn't like to see was a certain redhead by his cousins side. Something about that just pissed him off, but somehow he managed to hide his feelings about it. He suddenly shook his head, reminding himself that Willow was not MJ. That was a different place. 

"The Bronze is this," Xander responded, assuring Harry that it was so. "Can anything ever be any Bronzier than this?" 

Cordelia gave him a look. " _'Bronzier'_?" 

"We hangout here all the time," Willow told Harry, smiling. "It's our hangout, the Bronze is...'cause we-we're always...hanging out here...at the old Bronze." She shrugged helplessly. "It's what we do." 

Harry glanced at her. "Do you guys do anything else around here?" 

"Uh, well, there's the Ice Cream Bar we usually go to after a night of hanging out at the Bronze. Th-then, there's the cemetery--" 

Buffy gave Willow a look. "--which is not a place we hang out at much. I think Willow is still in mourning since we had to bury Fred...her puppy." 

Willow frowned. "I-I had a puppy?" She looked at Buffy as if she were losing her mind. 

"Denial is an ugly thing," Xander said helpfully. Willow had almost told Harry about some of their secret habits so he had to step in and help. "We have to keep Willow from going there to see Fred." He put an arm on Willow's shoulder. "Will...Fred's gone. It's time to get over it. Move on." He paused. "Besides, there is a new wolfie boy in your life, so--" 

Oz gave him a look. 

Xander grinned apologetically. "So move on with your life, girlfriend." 

Harry looked at Willow. She was pretty, but he was beginning to think she was a bit of an airhead. 

Xander clapped his hands together. "Hey! Why don't we all get on the floor and shake our groove thingies!" 

A troubled look crossed Oz' face. "I don't think that's gonna happen, Xander. There's gonna be a whole lot of shaking going on, but it won't have anything to do with dancing." 

Buffy frowned. She turned around and saw what was troubling Oz. Angelus had just entered the Bronze and behind him, a following of vampires entered. As they came in, they spread out and began to block exits and surround the pool table. Angelus walked over to Buffy and smiled at her. 

"Hi, lover," he greeted. 

Buffy punched him in the face. 

Angelus took the blow, and then he shook his head. "Damn, girlfriend," he said sarcastically, "I love it when you say 'Hello'." He looked at the others. "Well, the gang's all here. Oh, wait! Giles isn't here. Now why is that? Can't he get it together on the dance floor with one of you sweet things?" He leered at Buffy, Cordelia, and Willow. Then he laughed. 

"You'd better leave," Xander threatened angrily, "or you're going to find out just what the inside of a Dustbuster feels like." 

Angelus looked at him. "You know...that was actually a good one, little boy, but it's too bad because the only thing that's going to get killed in here is...the food." He changed into his game face. "And guess what? You're all on the menu." He smiled. 

Buffy took up a fighting stance. "Angel...please, leave." 

Angelus pulled a small object from his pocket. It looked like a miniature pumpkin. He pushed the stem in and it gave off a triple beep. He smiled. "Duck." 

Buffy and the Scoobies ducked. 

Angelus tossed the object at the far wall and as it struck, it exploded. Dust and debris rained down onto the floor and several patrons scurried to get out of harm's way. When the dust cleared, the wall had a huge gaping hole in it...and something was coming through that hole. 

Every one stared in horror. 

There was a green demon riding slowly in on top of a huge metallic bat. The demon looked down at the vampires and the humans and he laughed. 

"I think I speak for everyone present when I say..." Xander swallowed a lump in his throat nervously, "what the hell is that?" 

"That's the Green Goblin," Angelus told him. "He's the new kid on the block." 

"What does he want?" Buffy asked. 

"Why don't you ask him?" 

So Buffy did, and the Green Goblin cackled, then raised his hand, pointing a small cylinder-like object at the Scoobies. "I've come for a girl to be my date. Where is she?" 

Buffy scowled at him. "Uh, hello, lame-brain, but in case it hasn't registered in your little mind, the Bronze happens to be full of girls. Could you be a little bit more specific and tell me which girl you're after?" 

The Goblin squeezed the cylinder and a net shot out. Before anyone could intervene, it completely wrapped itself around Willow. She cried out as the net squeezed tightly around her. 

"This one will do," the Goblin said as, before anyone could react, the cylinder began to reel Willow up from the floor, like a hooked trout. 

"Buffy!" Willow cried out. 

Buffy ran forward and leaped onto a table as Willow was being raised higher toward the Goblin. The Goblin had attached the device onto his glider securely and soon Willow was hanging in the net directly below the glider. 

"Let her go!" Buffy shouted as she stood on the table. 

"Ta-ta, Slayer!" The Green Goblin laughed. "Have fun!" The glider began to turn. 

Buffy prepared to leap at him...but Angelus tackled her and they crashed to the floor. That was good enough for the other vampires. They began to attack at random. As the fighting within the Bronze heated up, the Green Goblin took his prize high into the skies of Sunnydale. His laughter mixed with the sounds of Willow's screams. 

Willow was in a terrible predicament. She was wrapped up tightly inside a net, high above Sunnydale. The only thing that prevented her from falling to her death was a single thin cord, tied to a madman's flying machine. She was scared to death, and yet she couldn't help but notice how people really did look like ants from way up high. There was no escape, so she did the only possible thing that she could do. 

She screamed. 

The Green Goblin flew onward, cackling in time to the music of Willow's screams. "Sing, my beloved!" he shouted. "Sing!" 

Willow sang...or rather screamed for all she was worth. 

The glider rocked, dipped, and swooped, and the motion caused Willow a great deal of nausea. She closed her eyes tightly, fighting off the need to throw up, and prayed to anyone who would listen for this nightmare ride to end. 

But it didn't end. 

At least not right a way. 

Eventually, Willow gathered up enough courage to open her eyes, to see that the glider was descending toward a huge hilltop mansion, a strangely familiar mansion. Every time she placed where she had seen it before, the glider would jerk in a new direction, and fresh terror would chase all coherent thought from her head. 

The Goblin flew his prize through a window and down a circular staircase into a secret room-his laboratory. Along the far wall were large cells, one of which the Goblin entered. He kicked at the cylinder attached to his glider, releasing Willow from her imprisonment, to fall unceremoniously to the hard stone floor. As Willow struggled to her feet, the Goblin leaped from his glider, toward the now cowering Willow. 

"No-no..." Willow pleaded hoarsely as she backed away, colliding with the back wall of the cell. There wasn't anywhere for her to run away to. 

The Goblin snatched Willow up by her throat and dangled her above the floor as he used his other hand to slip a shackle upon her right wrist. The shackle was attached to the wall by a short length of chain. When the Goblin was sure she was secure, he dropped her, laughed and left the cell, slamming the door. He locked it behind him. 

Willow stared at him in horror. The Goblin examined her through the bars as he took out the orb from his pouch. 

"Hey...that's Ms. Calendar's orb! How did you get it?" Willow inadvertently gasped as she saw the Orb the Goblin had pulled from his pouch. 

The Goblin cackled. "And so it is my dear, but the Orb of Thuselah now belongs to me - I made the previous owner an offer she couldn't live through!" 

Willow swallowed in terror and grief. She looked at the monster before her, eyes brimming with tears and whispered, "Wh-what are you?" 

"I am the Green Goblin!" 

She frowned in thought. "So-sounds like a comic book v-villain to me." 

The Goblin glared at Willow. "Watch your tongue, little girl - or I might have you sample one of my tasty treats," he cackled as he reached into his bag, removing a glowing, pumpkin-shaped object. "Some of my treats have been known to twist people into horrible abominations." He lowered his voice and darted toward Willow as he continued, "Now I know that as pretty as you are, you wouldn't want me to do that, would you?" 

Willow backed against the wall and shook her head fearfully. She clamped her mouth shut and decided not to say anything. She wanted to know what he intended to do with her, but was afraid to ask. 

The Goblin left her then. She walked as close to the bars as the chain would allow, and she was able to observe what the Goblin was up to. In the center of the room, there was some kind of strange device. It was of chrome steel, and there were a lot of dark iridescent colors, but mostly green. Willow thought she saw slots in the machine that formed a circle around another slot, and only two of those slots were empty. The other slots each held an orb of some kind. 

Willow saw the Golin's back as he stood in front of the machine. Now she couldn't see what he was doing, but she had an idea that he was placing the Orb of Thusaleh in the slot to complete the circle. The Goblin cackled with glee as he pulled a lever and the machine hummed to life. The twelve orbs glowed brightly and beams of energy shot out from them to strike at the orb in the center. She hadn't noticed before, but now Willow realized that the Green Goblin must have placed a different orb when she couldn't see what he was doing. 

She saw that orb now. It was glowing just as bright as the twelve orbs around it. As she watched in fascination, the orb even became brighter. Finally, the machine stopped humming, and the orbs returned to normal. The Green Goblin snatched up the newly created orb from in the center of the twelve and he raised it up, laughing in triumph. "The Orb of Herboverda is now _mine_!" he screamed as he held it aloft. "At last, its' power is _mine_!" Suddenly he stopped and he turned to look directly at Willow. "But first," he said in a friendly tone, "I simply must do something about my Heir." 

Willow looked at him in confusion as the Goblin's mad laughter echoed off the walls in her cell. 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Angelus grabbed Buffy and slammed her up against a beam. All around them, people were either fighting for their lives or becoming Happy Meals. Or Un-Happy Meals, depending on whether one was a vampire or a lunch entree. The Scoobies, for the most part, were holding their own. Oz had decided to use a pool stick as a weapon and he had made two quick kills when the fighting had begun. 

Harry had gone into hiding and avoided the demons in the Bronze, but he was jealous as his eyes took in Oz. His cousin was good at fighting for his life. What added to his strength, however, was his determination to find Willow. That was what drove Oz in his fight at the Bronze. 

Harry looked over at Buffy and he found himself amazed at the girls uncanny agility and strength. No normal girl could take blows like that and keep coming back for more, plus give as well as she got. 

Then there were Xander and Cordelia. The two seemed to take a stance back to back and Xander was good in spite of not having the strength that Buffy seemed to have. And yet, Xander held his ground, as did Cordelia. 

_Who were these people? And these monsters with the demonic faces? What the hell was going on in this town? _Harry remained hidden, observing and storing in his mind everything he saw, including the fight between Buffy and her "boyfriend".__

 _ _Angelus decided that enough was enough. Besides, he was damned curious as to what the Green Goblin wanted with Willow Rosenberg. Hell, he knew what curiosity did to the cat, but he was not a cat, and he was already dead. He shoved Buffy aside, grabbed a girl by the throat and used her as a shield.__

 _ _

"Dinner time is over, people!" he shouted. 

The surviving vamps looked disappointed, but none dared question Angelus. They began to back out of the Bronze, as Angelus dragged the girl with him to the doorway. 

"Leaving so soon?" Buffy demanded. "What? There's no time for one last dance?" 

Angelus laughed at her. "Oh, we'll dance again, lover. Alas, parting is such sweet sorrow. Touche' - for now." 

"Who the hell was your friend, Angel? And why did he take Willow?" 

"He's not my friend." He laughed. "And, damn it, he only beat me to what I should have done awhile ago." He threw the girl at Buffy. "Later, sweets." 

Then he was gone. 

Buffy ran out after him, but lost sight of him. When she came back, Xander and Cordelia looked at her with concern. 

"Harry's gone," Cordelia told her. 

Xander looked grim. "And so is Oz." 

"My-my God, Buffy..." 

They turned around and saw that Giles had entered. He looked awful, but in spite of that, he was looking around at the results of the chaos. 

"Giles?" Buffy looked at the librarian with growing concern. 

Giles finally stopped and then slumped against a beam to the floor. He put his head in his hands and sobbed. Buffy, Cordelia, and Xander stared at him, perplexed by this sudden turn of events. Willow had been kidnapped by a demon, Harry and Oz were both missing, and now Giles was falling apart. 

Buffy approached him slowly. "Giles...what is it? What's wrong?" 

Giles' body shook with sobs. He couldn't seem to pull himself together, but when he managed to finally bring himself to talk, it was in a hoarse whisper. 

Buffy looked at him. "What? Giles, I--" 

"Jenny's _dead_!" Giles screamed. 

Xander's mouth dropped open. Cordelia put her hands to her mouth. Buffy just stared. 

"Wh-what?" she asked, praying against hope that she had heard wrong. "Giles...Ms. Calendar is--" 

" _Dead_!" Giles cried again. "She-she was torn apart by-by something sharp...The po-police are at the sch-school..." He could say no more. He buried his face in his hands and cried. 

Buffy went to him and put her arms around him. She began to cry, too. "Giles...Oh, Giles, I'm so sorry." 

Xander and Cordelia just stood there and watched. Then they looked at each other. They both were feeling numb. Like this wasn't really happening - no...this could _not_ be happening! 

Xander swallowed hard. "How...how did this happen?" he asked quietly. 

Buffy glanced up at him. Then she tried to remove Giles' hands from his face. "Giles...Giles, please look at me. Talk to us. What-what happened? Was it Angel? Did he--?" 

Giles shook his head. "It-it wasn't Angel," he said softly, a far away look on his face. "The-there was a demon...a flying de-demon. It-it swooped down from the skies and...and it made a-a hole in the wall..." He swallowed. "It killed Jenny...Th-this green flying de-demon...killed my Jenny." He looked at Buffy as if looking at her for help. 

Buffy thought of her best friend. "Oh, God, Giles...That flying demon just took Willow." 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Angelus made his way back to the mansion. He wanted to know what the Green Goblin intended to do to Willow. 

Someone else wanted to know, too. 

Oz watched from the darkness as Angelus walked to the front door of the mansion and entered. Oz frowned. How could Angelus enter...unless someone living there was stupid or crazy enough to invite Death itself in? A look of anger flashed across Oz's face. A vampire-allowed into his uncle's home? Why? And did that mean Willow was here? Grimly detemined to find out, Oz headed toward the mansion. 

Behind Oz, in the shadows, hidden, Harry continued to observe the night's events. 

_______ _______ _______ _______ _______

The Green Goblin left her alone as Willow sat on the floor in her cell. She was scared. She didn't know what he intended to do with her, but she was sure it wasn't something good. She was able to think about all of the things the demon had said to her while she was in her cell, and one thing stuck clearly in her mind. 

"I made the previous owner an offer she couldn't live through!" 

That's what he had said. 

Now that Willow was able to think about it, she was able to work it out in her mind and reach the only conclusion that fit. Jenny Calendar was dead. The Green Goblin had found her, killed her, and taken the Orb of Theselah for his own purposes. When that sank fully in, Willow buried her face in her hands and wept bitterly. She cried for a while until she could cry no more. 

Finally, she wiped at her eyes and looked out of her cell. She saw the machine with the orbs in their slots, and she recognized the Orb of Theselah. She stared at it. She was determined to get it back. She didn't know how, she only knew that she had to. She pulled out the envelope from her pocket and looked at it. It was the one Ms. Calendar had given to her. 

"I-it's up to me, now," she said softly as she looked at the envelope. She wiped at her eyes, "b-but what do I do?"

__


End file.
